Singapore to push for stronger action against haze as 2027 ASEAN chair
Singapore will ratify an agreement to establish a regional haze control centre in Indonesia, after Jakarta declined its offer of firefighting assistance in October.
A cyclist rides past the Marina Bay Sands as it’s shrouded in haze at midday on Oct 20, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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SINGAPORE: Singapore will work with other ASEAN states to strengthen the implementation of the region’s transboundary haze agreement as it assumes the bloc’s chairmanship in 2027, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Tuesday (Nov 3).
Responding to parliamentary questions on the ongoing haze pollution in parliament on Tuesday, Ms Fu said some member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have indicated they will raise the transboundary haze issue at upcoming regional meetings.
“Singapore will support these discussions, and share how we intend to act against companies responsible for the haze,” she added.
As incoming ASEAN chair, Singapore will also work towards establishing a coordinating centre in Indonesia to strengthen cooperation and coordination in managing the fires and transboundary haze, said Ms Fu. The centre will come into force only after six member states ratify the agreement to establish it.
“Singapore will submit our instrument of ratification for the establishment agreement in the next few days, and we will strongly encourage other ASEAN member states to do so,” said Ms Fu.
The ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, adopted in 2002, is the region’s first legally binding pact dedicated to the issue.
Malaysia recently urged the regional bloc to revisit the pact, while Singapore and Indonesia announced on Oct 27 a joint task force to probe firms linked to forest fires.
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Beyond the agreement, Singapore will work with other ASEAN member states to step up the implementation of initiatives that tackle the root causes of haze, Ms Fu said. These include sustainable land and peatland management, and crop burning guidelines.
Indonesia informed Singapore on Oct 19 that it could handle the situation and did not need foreign assistance, she said.
Ms Fu reiterated that Singapore is ready to help if preventative measures fail and where assistance is needed and welcomed. She added that the Singapore government has communicated this to their Indonesian counterparts at various levels.
“Singapore respects Indonesia’s sovereignty and its assessment of its needs, including whether the establishment of a joint regional firefighting task force would be helpful,” she said.
Source: CNA/hw(cy)
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